Subsurface well bore apparatus and setting tool therefor



May 29, 1962 E. H. CLARK, JR

SUBSURFACE WELL BORE APPARATUS AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR Filed Sept. 26, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E6, 2

7. 2 mi w Z WWQ1\ \\\\NA\\ T. r, 9

INVENTOR.

[on/[$717 (Mme, de.

May 29, 1962 E. H. CLARK, JR

3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. lbw/5719: (Zaae, z/z

firmer/5K9.

SUBSURFACE WELL BORE APPARATUS AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR Filed Sept. 26, 1957 May 29, 1962 E. H. CLARK, JR

SUBSURFACE WELL BORE APPARATUS AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 INVENTOR. [ow/[$7 E 624166, J9.

W W W firrae/v-rs".

it Sttes Filed Sept. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 686,367 15 Claims. (Cl. 166-423) The present invention relates to subsurface Well bore tools, and more particularly to well packers or anchoring apparatus capable of being set in well bores, and to devices for effecting such setting.

An object of the present invention is to provide subsurface well apparatus, such as a well packer, adapted to be anchored in a well, and which has a relatively large size passage or bore therethrough in the small sizes of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide subsurface well apparatus, such as a well packer, adapted to be anchored in a well, in which the possibility of premature setting of the apparatus while being run in the well bore is minimized to a substantial extent.

A further object of the invention is to provide subsurface well apparatus and a subsurface setting tool for setting the apparatus in the well bore, which releases automatically from the apparatus after the setting operation has been completed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved setting tool for setting an apparatus, such as a well packer, in a well bore.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. It will now be described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURES l and 10 together constitute a longitudinal section through the well apparatus disposed in a well casing, with the parts in the initial position that they occupy during lowering of the apparatus in the well casing, FIG. la constituting a lower continuation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through a portion of the well packer disclosed in FIG. la;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. la illustrating the well packer set in the well casing;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 44 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 55 on FIG. la;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 6-6 on FIG. la;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 77 on FIG.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the setting tool released from the well packer after the latter has been set in the well casing;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the releasable connection between the setting tool and the well packer, prior to such release;

3,936,636 Patented May 29, 1962 FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 illustrating the releasable connection after its release has been elfected.

As disclosed in the drawings, a well packer A is releasably connected to a setting tool B, which is, in turn, attached to a running-in string C, such as a wire line, extending to the top of the well bore, and. by means of which the apparatus is lowered in a well casing D to the desired depth or location at which the packer is to be set against the well casing. After the packer A has been appropriately set against the well casing D, the setting tool B is released therefrom and is withdrawn by the wire line C to the top of the hole.

The well packer A includes inner and outer tubular body members 10, 11 initially retained in a relatively extended position by shear screws 12 threaded laterally in the outer body member and received within a groove 13 in the inner body member. Upon disruption of the shear screws 12 the inner and outer body members 10, 11 can be telescoped with respect to one another to effect setting of the packer parts. Surrounding the inner body member 10 is a set of upper segmental slips 14, the upper end of which are disposed adjacent or abut against an outwardly directed body shoulder 15 at the lower end of a tubular body extension 16. These slips 14 are retained initially in retracted position by set screws 17 securing them to an upper expander 18 which is releasably secured to the upper or inner body member 10 by one or more shear screws 19. The expander 18 has an inwardly and upwardly tapering external surface 20 adapted to coact with companion surfaces 21 on the slips, in order that relative upward movement of the expander 18 within the slips 14 will shift the latter outwardly into anchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing D, to prevent upward movement of the well packer A within the latter.

A lower set of segmental slips 22 is disposed around the inner body member 10, these slips engaging the upper end of the outer body member 11. They are held initially in retracted position by shear screws 23 releasably securing them to a lower expander 24, which is, in turn, releasably attached to the inner body member 10 by one or more shear screws 25. The lower expander 24 has an external surface 26 tapering in a downward and inward direction, coacting with companion inner surfaces 27 on the slips 22, so that relative downward movement of the lower expander 24 with respect to the lower set of slips will expand the latter outwardly into anchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing D and prevent downward movement of the well packer A therewithin.

Disposed between the upper and lower expanders 18, 24 is a packing structure 28 of any suitable type. As disclosed, it may consist of a rubber or rubber-like packing sleeve surrounding the body it) with its upper and lower ends engaging or suitably secured to the upper and lower expanders 18, 24. This packing sleeve 28 is disposed initially in retracted position and is adapted to be expanded into sealing engagement with the wall of the well casing as a result of relative movement of the upper and lower expanders 18, 24 towards one another, which will foreshorten the packing sleeve 28 and expand it outwandly against the well casing D, as well as inwardly against the periphery of the upper inner body member 10.

The upper and lower sets of slips 14, 22 and the packing sleeve 28 are expanded outwardly against the wall of the Well casing as a result of telescopic movement between the inner and outer body members 10, 11. Actually, the outer body member 11 is movable upwardly and the inner body member 10 is movable downwardly with respect to one another. The shear screws 23, 25 securing the lower set of slips 22 to the lower expander 24 and the lower expander to the body it) of the tool have a lesser shear value than the screws 17, 19 securing the upper set of slips 14 to the upper expander 18 and the upward expander to the inner body member 1%. Accordingly, telescopic movement between the inner and outer body members will first shear the screws 12 securing these body members to one another, after which the upward force exerted by the outer body member 11 on the lower slips 22 will disrupt the screws 23 attaching them to the lower expander 24 and move them upwardly along the lower expander and radially outwardly into engagement with the wall of the well casing D.

The screw or screws 25 attaching the lower expander 24 to the body 10 will also disrupt, the inner body member 10 then sliding downwardly within the lower expander 24 and the outer body member 11, shifting the upper expander 18 towards the lower expander 24 to foreshorten the packing sleeve 28 and expand it outwardly into sealing engagement with the wall of the casing.

Following such sealing engagement, the downwardly directed force opposed on the inner and upper body member It) will shear the screws 19 securing the upper expander 18 to the inner body member and the screws 17 attaching the upper set of slips 14 to the upper expander, the shoulder 15 engaging and sliding the upper slips downwardly along the upper expander and outwardly into engagement with the wall of the well casing.

A continuation of the downward force on the inner body member 10 and the upward force on the outer body member 11 will compress the packing sleeve 28 to a still greater extent and will engage the slips 14, 22 more firmly against the wall of the well casing. Since the upper slips have wickers facing in an upward direction, they will prevent their upward movement along the wall of the well casing, the downwardly facing wickers n the lower slips 22 embedding in the wall of the well casing to prevent their downward movement therewithin.

The inner and outer body members 10, 11 are prevented from returning to an extended position with respect to one another by a ratchet lock ring 30 disposed in a counterbore 31 in the upper portion of the outer body member 11. This latch ring has inner ratchet teeth 32 thereon facing in a downward direction and adapted to engage companion ratchet teeth 33 on the periphery of the inner body member 16 facing in an upward direction. The latch ring 30 is split and has external cam surfaces 34 engaging companion cam surfaces 35 in the outer body member, such that any tendency of the outer body member 11 to move downwardly relative to the inner body member will cam the latch ring 30 inwardly more firmly into engagement with the ratchet teeth 33 of the inner body member. In view of the direction of inclination of the ratchet teeth 32, 33, the inner body member 10 can move downwardly relative to the outer bod-y member 11 for the purpose of expanding the slips 14, 22 and packing sleeve 28 against the well casing in the manner described above, but upward movement of the inner body 10 relative to the outer body 11 is precluded by the engagement between the ratchet teeth 32, 33 and by the further fact that the tendency of the latch ring 30 to move upwardly with the inner body member 10 causes the coengaging cam surfaces 34, 35 to be wedged in the outer body member 11.

Depending from th eouter body member is a junk pusher or extension 36 threadedly mounted on its lower end. This junk pusher or extension has an inwardly directed body flange 37 defining a passage 38 having an inside diameter at least equal to the inside diameter of the inner body member 10. The depending body section 36 preferably has an external diameter no less than the effective external diameters of the slips 14, 22 and the packing sleeve 28 when in retracted position, thereby offering assurance that the slips can pass through any portions of the casing that can be entered by the depending junk pusher or body extension 36. The junk pusher extension will also minimize the chance of debris, and the like, from passing around its exterior for the purposes of prematurely tripping the well packer. Such debris will push ahead of the catcher. Downward movement of the apparatus is also facilitated by the provisions of side ports 39 through the catcher, permitting any fluid passing thereinto to exit through such ports, without the necessity for passing upwardly through the well packer.

As disclosed in the drawings, the well packer A is run in the well casing D and is set therein by means of a setting apparatus B run in the well bore on a Wire line C which has an electrically conductive core or wire therein. The setting tool B is releasably secured to the packer A and includes a tension mandrel 40 disposed in the passage 41 through the packer body members. For convenience of manufacture, the mandrel may be made in several sections, including a main section 42 having its lower end welded or otherwise secured to a lower connection 43 which in turn is threadedly secured within a lower head 44, there being a suitable compression spring lock 45 disposed in the lower head and engaging the lower end of the connection 43 to prevent inadvertent unthreading of the head from the connection.

The lower head 44 has a maximum external diameter slightly less than the minimum inner diameter through the body members 10, 11, 36 of the tool. Such head has an upper hardened shearing ring 46 mounted thereon which engages the lower surface of a shearable ring 47 disposed within a counterbore 48 in the body flange 37 and engages a downwardly facing shoulder 49 thereof.

In view of the engagement of the shearing ring 46 with the shearable or disruptable ring 47, the tension mandrel 40 cannot move upwardly relative to the lower body member 11 of the tool. Downward movement of the tension mandrel 40 with respect to such lower body is also prevented by a split, contractible lock ring 50 mounted in a circumferential recess 51 in the body member, this lock ring having depending portion 52 disposed within the flange passage 38 and an outer portion 53 which rests upon the upwardly facing shoulder 54 of the body flange. The ring 50 also has an upper surface 55 tapering in an upward and inward direction, which is adapted to engage with a downwardly flaring surface 56 at the lower end of the inner body member 10, in order that the split locking ring 50 can be shifted off the relatively enlarged step 57 provided on the tension mandrel connector 43 and moved down to a lesser diameter portion 58 thereof, which will permit the locking ring 50 to contract, after the well packer A has been anchored in packed-off condition in the well casing, and thereby pass through the body passages when the setting tool B is to be released from the well packer and withdrawn therefrom, in a manner described hereinbelow.

The upper portion of the tension mandrel 40 is constituted by an upper head 59 welded, or otherwise suitably secured, to the main portion 42 of the tension mandrel, this upper head having a threaded stem 60 threadedly connected to a lower actuating mandrel 61 of a wire line actuating tool. The setting mandrel 61 is tubular and has its upper end threaded within the lower head 62 of a power cylinder 63, including a cylinder sleeve 64 thread edly attached to a cylinder head 65, the upper end of which is threadedly secured to a cable head 66 suitably attached to the wire line or cable C extending to the top of the well bore. It is evident from the foregoing description that the tension mandrel 40 of the setting tool is secured to the cylinder 63 of the apparatus through the setting mandrel 61.

A motivating gas under pressure is generated in the cylinder 63 and this force is transmitted to a piston 67 slidably mounted in the cylinder, which has one or more piston or seal rings 68 in its peripheral portion slidably engaging the cylinder sleeve 64 to prevent leaking therebetween. The upper end of a piston rod 69 is threadedly secured to the piston 67, this rod extending downwardly through the lower cylinder head 62 to a point therebelow, where an anvil or cross-piece 70 is mounted within a transverse slot 71 in the rod. Leakage between the rod 69 and lower cylinder head 62 is prevented by a suitable rod packing 72 carried by the lower head and slidably and sealingly engaging the rod. The packing or seal rings 72 prevent leakage of fluid from the well easing into the cylinder 63 below the piston 67, insuring that air under atmospheric pressure is present below the piston when the apparatus is assembled and lowered in the well casing D.

The downward movement or force imposed upon the piston 67 and the piston rod 69 is transferred to the upper inner body member 16 and to the upper slips 14, whereas the relative upward movement of the cylinder 63 is transferred to the outer or lower packer body member 11 through the setting mandrel 61 and the tension mandrel 40. The downward movement of the piston rod 69 carried the cross piece or anvil 7G with it, which projects in opposite directions from the rod through diametrically opposite longitudinally extending slots 75 formed through the setting mandrel 61. This cross-piece 70 also extends into opposed slots 76 formed through a setting ring or sleeve 77 slidably mounted on the actuating mandrel 61 to form a connection between the piston rod and a setting ring. Aisetting sleeve or skirt 78 is adjustably threaded on the setting ring 77, the lower portion of this skirt being threadedly secured to an adapter sleeve 79, the lower end of which engages the upper end of the body extension 16. Preferably, the lower end 30 of the adapter sleeve 79 is tapered in a downward and inward direction, coacting with a companion taper 81 at the upper end of the body extension 16.

In order to secure the desired fluid pressure in the cylinder 63 and above the piston 67, a combustible fuel or power charge 82 is contained within the cylinder head 65. This combustible charge, which may be a railway flare of cylindrical or stick form, rests upon the upper end of the piston 67. It is ignited by a blank cartridge 83 contained within a gun barrel 84 inserted within the upper end of the upper cylinder head 65, leakage between the barrel and the head being prevented by side seals 85 mounted on the barrel 84 and engaging the head 65. This barrel 84 is threadedly attached to the cable head 66, which, as stated above, is threadedly secured to the upper end of the cylinder head 65, and to which the wire line running-in string C is also suitably attached. The electrically conductive wire or core 86 of this wire line is connected electrically to a heating filament (not shown) contained within the cartridge 83.

The apparatus is lowered in the well bore with the parts disposed in the relative positions illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1a. When the desired location in the well casing D has been reached at which the well packer A is to be set, the circuit through the filament (not shown) of the cartridge 83 is completed, this cartridge firing and igniting the upper end of the power charge 82 which begins burning away to produce a gas in the cylinder 63 at an increasing pressure. As the pressure increases, the piston 67 is moved downwardly in the cylinder 63, or the cylinder is moved relatively upwardly with respect to the piston. The downward force of the piston 67 is exerted upon the inner body member 10, whereas the upward force or pull on the cylinder 63 is exerted through the shear ring 47 on the outer body member 11. When such forces exceed the shear strength of the screws 12 attaching the body members together, the screws 12 are disrupted, and when the pressure increases sufliciently in the cylinder to exceed the shear strength of the screws 25, 23 holding the lower expander 24 and lower slips 22 in their initial position,

such screws are disrupted, the cylinder 63 moving upwardly relative to the piston 67 to shift the lower body member 11 upwardly and the lower slips 22 along the lower expander 24- and outwardly. into engagement with the wall of the well casing D. Such upward movement of the outer body member 11 relative to the inner body member 10 can occur in view of the ratcheting action of the latch ring 31]- along the ratchet teeth 33 formed on the inner body member.

As the pressure increases, the cylinder 63 moves upwardly to a greater extent relative to the piston 67, this motion being transferred through the setting mandrel 61, tension mandrel 40 and shear ring 47 to the outer body member 11, the lower slips 22 and lower expander 24 being shifted upwardly toward the upward expander 18 to foreshorten the packing sleeve 28 and expand it into sealing engagement with the wall of the well casing. As the combustible charge continues to burn away, the pressure in the cylinder 63 increases to a still further extent, until the force imposed on the shear screws 19, 17 holding the upper expander 18 to the inner body member 10 and the upper slips 14 to the upper expander is sufficient to disrupt such screws. Accordingly, the piston 67 then moves downwardly within the cylinder 63, this downward force and motion being transferred through the anvil 67, the setting ring 77, setting sleeve 78 and adapter sleeve 79 to the inner body member 11, shifting the latter downwardly within the expander 18 and forcing the upper slips 14 down along the expander 18 and radially outward into anchoring engagement with the wall of the well casing. Here again, the downward movement of the inner body 10 member relative to the outer body member 11 can occur in view of the ratcheting action of the teeth 33 within the latch ring 31 However, return movement cannot occur because of the locking or clutching action of the latch ring 30.

As the pressure continues to increase to a still further extent, the inner and outer body members 10, 11 are urged toward each other with increased force to compress the packing sleeve 28 between the expanders 18, 24 and urge it with greater force into sealing engagement with the wall of the well casing D and the periphery of the upper body member 10. Such force is being transferred in an upward direction from the tension mandrel 40, through the shear ring 47, to the lower body member 11. When the shear strength of this ring 47 is exceeded, the hardened shear ring 46 will disrupt it, the shearing action occurring between the upper outer shearing edge of this ring 46 and the lower inner shearing edge of the flange 37 (FIG. 10). The disruption of the shear ring 47 as a result of the shearing of its inner portion extending inwardly of the flange 37 from its outer portion, will release the tension mandrel 40 from the lower body member 11, and allow the mandrel 40 to move upwardly within the body 16, 11. No further force will then be imposed on the inner and outer body members, the packer A then being fully anchored in packed-0E condition within the well casing, with the upper slips 14 preventing upward movement of the well packer in the casing and the lower slips 22 preventing downward movement of the packer in the well casing, (FIG. 3).

The wire line C can now be elevated, to lift the entire cylinder and piston device in the well casing, as well as the setting mandrel 61 and tension mandrel 41') connected thereto. The lower portion of the tension mandrel 40 moves upwardly until the upper outer taper-ed surface 55 of the split locking ring 50* engages the tapered portion 56 of the inner body member 10, which will result in the ring 56 moving downwardly off the enlarged diameter portion 57 of the connector 43 to its lesser diameter portion 58 therebelow, whereupon, the ring 50 can contract inwardly and have an external diameter less than the internal diameter through the upper body member 16, which will then allow the entire mandrel 41 to be moved through the body passage 41. The wire line C and the setting mechanism attached thereto can now be withdrawn completely from the Well casing D to the top of the hole, leaving a fully opened and relatively large passage through the body members ltl, ll of the well packer.

The minimum diameter of this passage 41 is relatively large in the smallest size well packers, thereby permitting other apparatus to be lowered through the packer if need be, such as tubing guns and the like, for the purpose of perforating the well casing below the set position of the well packer.

During the lowering of the apparatus in the well casing, premature setting of the well packer, as by the lower body member 11 or its lower extension 36 encountering debris in the well casing, is prevented. The downward movement of the setting tool B might effect a disruption of the various shear screws and the premature setting of the packer, were it not for the presence of the split locking ring 50, which causes the downward movement of the cylinder 53 to be transmitted through the setting mandrel 61 and the tension mandrel 40 directly to the lower body member 11. Accordingly, the force necessary to move the apparatus through the well casing is not transferred through the shear screws attaching the inner and outer body members 10, 11 to one another and securing the various packer elements in their initial retracted position, but is imposed directly onto the lower, outer body member 11.

Not only has a well packer been provided with a large passage through it, for the purposes of enabling other equipment to be passed therethrough, such as perforating guns referred to above, but the bore is of suflicient size as to permit an appropriate tubular connection to be made between a production string lowered subsequently in the well casing and the well packer, in order that well production from below the said well packer can pass upwardly through such production string to the top of the well bore.

The inventor claims:

1. In subsurface well apparatus adapted to be disposed in a well bore: an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for moving said lower body member upwardly in the well bore and said upper body member downwardly in the well bore to shift said body members and said surfaces in the well bore toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward; and lock means for preventing said members from moving from the positions to which they have been moved to hold said normally retracted means expanded outwardly.

2. In subsurface well apparatus adapted to be disposed in a well bore: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercomrnunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; and means for moving said lower body member upwardly in the well bore and said upper body member downwardly in the well bore to shift saidbody members and said surfaces in the well bore toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward.

3. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; and means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward; said exerting means including instrumentalities releasably connected to said lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member and releasable to release said exerting means from said Well packer.

4. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; and means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward, said exerting means including a shearable connection with said lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member disruptable when subjected to a predetermined force to release said exerting means from said lower body member.

5. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward; said exerting means including instrumentalities releasably connected to said lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member and releasable to release said exerting means from said well packer; and means for transmitting downwardly directed forces from said exerting means to said lower body member.

6. in subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward, said exerting means including a shearable connection with said lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member disruptable when sub jected to a predetermined force to release said exerting means from said lower body member; and means for transmitting downwardly directed forces from said exerting means to said lower body member.

7. In subsurface well apparatus: an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for moving said lower body member upward ly and said upper body member downwardly to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outward; and releasable means initially releasably securing said members together to prevent their relative telescopic movement.

8. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outwardly; said exerting means including a mandrel extending into said upper body member, and a releasable connection between said mandrel and lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member for transmitting upwardly directed forces from said mandrel to said lower body member.

9. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outwardly; said exerting means including a mandrel extending into said upper body member, and a releasable connection between said mandrel and lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member for transmitting upwardly directed forces from said mandrel to said lower body member; and means for transmitting downwardly directed forces from said mandrel to said lower body member.

10. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; and means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outwardly; said exerting means including a mandrel extending into said upper body member, and a shear ring connected to said mandrel and lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member for transmitting upwardly directed forces from said mandrel to said lower body member.

11. In subsurface well apparatus: a well packer including an upper, inner tubular body member; a lower, outer body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member disposed between and engageable with opposed transverse surfaces on said upper and lower body members; means for exerting an upwardly directed force on said lower body member and a downwardly directed force on said upper body member to shift said body members and said surfaces toward each other and expand said normally retracted means laterally outwardly; said exerting means including a mandrel extending into said upper body member, a shear ring connected to said mandrel and lower body member below the lower end of said upper body member for transmitting upwardly directed forces from said mandrel to said lower body member; and means for transmitting downwardly directed forces from said mandrel to said lower body member.

12. In a tool for operating well apparatus in a well bore: a mandrel; a separate shearing ring fixed to said mandrel; and a shear ring overlapping and engaging said shearing ring and adapted for engagement with the well apparatus and adapted to be disrupted when subjected to a predetermined upward force imposed by said mandrel and shearing ring to release the mandrel from the well apparatus.

13. In a tool for operating well apparatus in a well bore: a mandrel; a shear ring mounted on said mandrel and adapted for engagement with the well apparatus and adapted to be disrupted when subjected to a predetermined upward force imposed on said mandrel to release the mandrel from the well apparatus; and a ring on said mandrel engageable with the well apparatus simultaneously with engagement of said shear ring with the apparatus for transmitting downwardly directed forces from said mandrel to the well apparatus.

14. In a tool for operating well apparatus in a well bore: a mandrel; a separate shearing ring fixed to said mandrel; a shear ring overlapping and engaging said shearing ring and adapted for engagement with the well apparatus and adapted to be disrupted when subjected to a predetermined upward force imposed by said mandrel and shearing ring to release the mandrel from the well apparatus; and a ring on said mandrel engageable with the well apparatus simultaneously with engagement of said shear ring with the apparatus for transmitting downwardly directed forces from said mandrel to the well apparatus.

15. In subsurface well apparatus adapted to be disposed in a well bore: an upper, inner tubular body member having an outwardly directed shoulder; a lower, outer tubular body member telescopically disposed over said upper body member below said shoulder and extending below the lower end of said upper body member; said members having intercommunicating fluid passages, with said lower body member passage extending downwardly from the lower end of said upper member passage; normally retracted means on said upper body member between said shoulder and lower body member and engageable therewith; and means for moving said lower body 1 1 member upwardly in the well bore and said upper body member downwardly in the well bore to shift said shoulder and lower member relatively toward each other to expand said normally retracted means laterally outward.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,111 Layne June 1, 1937 12 Spang Dec. 27, 1938 Denton June 19, 1945 Baker July 7, 1953 Conrad et al Apr. 20, 1954 Ragan Nov. 23, 1954 Conrad Aug. 13, 1957 

